Vegetarian Burrito Bowl
This vegetarian burrito bowl recipe features lime-marinated kale, black beans and avocado salsa verde. It's vegan if you skip the cheese.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on June 10, 2025
This unexpected burrito bowl is an absolute delight. If you’re looking for a hearty meatless meal, give this recipe a try. These burrito bowls feature cooked brown rice, lime-marinated kale, seasoned black beans, and a quick and irresistible avocado salsa verde that brings it all together.
This burrito bowl is a complete and balanced meal that makes great leftovers. To make it more of an event, serve it with tortilla chips and salsa or guacamole, perhaps with a zingy cocktail on the weekend (try a margarita, paloma or ranch water).
I developed this recipe over ten years ago when I was craving a wholesome meal with greens after returning home from a weekend road trip. It’s economical and practical, but above all, delicious! This recipe is still one of my favorites, so I’m sharing it again today with updated photos and a video to show you how it comes together.
Burrito Bowl Components
Each component is simple to make, and once combined, they create a stellar meal. You’ll find the full recipe below, but here’s what makes each component special.
Cooked brown rice: Follow my brown rice cooking method for great results every time—you’ll boil the rice in an abundance of water, like you would for pasta. Prepare the remaining components while it cooks for 30 minutes.
Lime-marinated kale: First, we’ll massage the kale to make it more tender and palatable (I’ve emphasized this in my kale salad recipes). All you do is scrunch up big handfuls at a time until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant—don’t worry about hurting the kale. Then, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, chopped jalapeño (optional), cumin and salt, and stir it into the kale.
Avocado salsa verde: I’m obsessed with this ultra-flavorful sauce. It’s just ripe avocado blended with salsa verde (store-bought is fine), plus fresh cilantro and lime. You could double this component to serve with chips.
Seasoned black beans: Canned black beans become tender and delicious when you sauté them in olive oil with shallot or red onion, garlic and chili powder.
Garnishes: Choose from sliced cherry tomatoes, toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), hot sauce or crumbled feta. I love the accents of salty, creamy feta on my bowls, but you can easily make this recipe vegan and dairy-free by omitting it.
Watch How to Make Burrito Bowls
Planning on leftovers?
Enjoy this recipe for up to four days. Store individual components separately in the refrigerator for best results. Reheat the beans and rice before topping them with marinated kale and salsa verde.
More Burrito Bowls to Try
If you enjoy this burrito bowl recipe, don’t miss these:
- Fresh Black Bean Burrito Bowl
- Mango Burrito Bowls with Crispy Tofu and Peanut Sauce
- Spaghetti Squash Burrito Bowls
- Sweet Potato and Green Rice Burrito Bowls
- Burrito-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Please let me know how your bowls turn out in the comments. I hope this one becomes one of your favorite meals as well.
Kale and Black Bean Burrito Bowl
This vegetarian burrito bowl features super flavorful components—lime-marinated kale, seasoned black beans, brown rice and avocado salsa verde. This recipe is gluten free, vegetarian and vegan/dairy free if you skip the feta cheese. Recipe yields 4 burrito bowls.
Ingredients
Brown rice
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed (short grain/arborio or long grain/basmati recommended)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Lime-marinated kale
- 1 medium bunch curly kale, ribs removed and chopped into small, bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped (omit if sensitive to spice)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
Avocado salsa verde
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced into big chunks
- ½ cup mild salsa verde (any good green salsa will do)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro leaves (a few stems are ok)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Seasoned black beans
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 shallot, finely chopped or ⅓ cup chopped red onion
- 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 2 cans black beans (15 ounces each), rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked black beans
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for spice)
Optional garnishes
- Cherry tomatoes, sliced into thin rounds
- Crumbled feta cheese
- Toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- Hot sauce, such as Cholula
Instructions
- Cook the rice: Bring a big pot of water to a boil, pour in the rinsed brown rice and boil, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, drain the rice and return it to the pot. Cover and let the rice steam in the pot for 10 minutes, then fluff the rice with a fork and season with ¼ teaspoon salt, or more to taste.
- Make the kale salad: Place the chopped kale in a big mixing bowl. Massage the leaves with your hands by scrunching up big handfuls at a time until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, chopped jalapeño, cumin and salt, then pour the dressing into the bowl and stir to combine.
- Make the avocado salsa verde: In a food processor or blender, combine the avocado, salsa verde, cilantro and lime juice. Blend until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Warm the beans: In a medium saucepan, warm the olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic until fragrant and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes, then add the beans, chili powder and cayenne pepper. Cook until the beans are warmed through and softened, stirring often, about 5 to 7 minutes. If the beans seem dry at any point, stir in a small splash of water.
- To serve, spoon generous portions of rice, beans and kale salad into individual bowls. Top with a couple of spoonfuls of avocado salsa verde and garnish as desired. Each component of this recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For leftovers, reheat the beans and rice and serve alongside marinated kale and salsa verde. To ensure the salsa verde stays bright green, store it in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the sauce.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Not Without Salt’s jalapeño and lime marinated kale tostada. Recipe updated in 2024 to include massaging the kale for an improved texture, plus additional garnish suggestions.
Make it vegan/dairy free: Don’t add cheese.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is so flavorful and insanely delicious!! Will be making on the regular! Thanks, Kate!
Thank you, Kate!
Our fam cannot get enough of these tacos! YUM YUM YUM Our go-to taco recipe
Yes! Thank you, Rachel.
This recipe is excellent, however it might be necessary to mention that some people might have an allergic reaction to raw kale. It made this dish last night and broke out in hives 30 minutes later. I always cooked my kale before. I ended in the urgent care clinic and got a benedryl shot.
I’m so sorry to hear that! That is not an allergy I’m too familiar with. I’m happy you are doing better now, Jean.
Easy weeknight dinner. So flavorful, packed with veggies, and just delish! Adding this to my rotation.
I love to hear that, Megan! I appreciate your review.
This was a hit at our house! I have 2 little boys who ate this right up, AND asked for seconds. Even the kale. I was amazed. I’m printing it out to make sure I remember to make it when the busy weeknights start up in the fall. It was so quick to make!
Hooray! Thanks so much, Brittani for your comment and review.
I just recently decided that I’m going to try some vegan or vegetarian dishes and just generally cut down on meat consumption. This was one of the first recipes I tried and as I prepared it I had low expectations.. BUT holy Mexican green sauce this is good will definitely be a repeat for me.
I’m glad it exceeded your expectations, Brandon!
This was fabulous. Made it last night and everyone loved it. One of my boys thought shredded cabbage would be good instead of kale to try sometime, too. 2/2 for Cookie and Kate!
Thanks for sharing!
I am making this for the second time tonight. I made it over the weekend for a family meal that included people who are strictly plant based eaters and it was a huge hit. I added oven roasted sweet potatoes because I love the combo of black beans and sweet potatoes.
Hooray! Oh, that sounds like a great add-in. Thank you, Carolynne for your review and comment.
This is bound to taste good!
But who will have the time or the will to make it : ” just like that “! I am following you – please don´t misunderstand me I am one who wants to explore my taste buds!
Nevertheless, I am afraid that shorter and easier recipes will get more people to the stove me, personally – I am into mexican, indian, arabic, german, thai and what have you – cuisine – there´s a bit of every cuisine worth having!!
Thank you!
This recipe was delicious. I tried to send the site to my friends at Weight Watchers and can’t get it to come up. I wanted to share but unable. 5 stars. Love it! How can I share this one and Kale and
Bean Burritos with them? They are both wonderful!
I’m happy you like it! You can copy and paste the website link to share it. :)
Hi, there!
Cook the Kale stems – finely cut or shredded – along with the rice. More flavour, less trash!
Thanks for sharing your method, Stefan!
Where´s the Burrito!?
Sounds nice – I will probably try it…
Burrito bowl is without the tortilla. :)
This is a hit–it’s going into the dinner rotation! And I’m glad to have this avocado sauce recipe to use lots of different ways.
I have two thoughts to share. One, Trader Joe’s is selling pre-washed baby kale that can be used straight out of the bag. I don’t want to shill for TJ’s, but not having to cut out spines saves a lot of hassle. Two, with the beans, instead of chili powder or cayenne, I used about a teaspoon of ground chipotle peppers. Really, really yum!
Thanks for sharing! TJs is so great!
Was so snacky last night and ignored it but woke up starving this morning. Made this as a breakfast bowl and it was awesome! Also opened my eyes to the best brown rice method. Thank you!
I’m glad you love this one, Amis!
Fantastic dish, adding this into our rotation of favorites! My wife loved the appearance and flavor of this dish.
I upped the spice in the beans and added paprika to give a nice flavor of heat.
Also using lime instead of lemon, and garbanzo beans instead of salsa.
Fantastic recipe, really enjoyed!
Thanks so much for sharing! I appreciate the review.
This is very tasty. It is fast and fresh. Serving it with warm beans and rice takes it into the winter months.
Sounds wonderful, Kim!
Umm yes! I’ve been on a no meat binge for awhile so my mom has no idea what to make me for Christmas dinner. She made me this and omg it’s sooooo good! (Eating right now) of course she added a tortilla bowl and used Pico de Gallo but wow the idea to even come up with this is brilliant. Definitely going to try more recipes on my own from here because this was a hit!!
Glad you loved this one!
simple ingredients, easy to make and a wonderful out come. Absolutely loved this recipe!
Thank you, Spencer! I’m glad you have enjoyed it.
Hi – love this recipe. Have been dreaming of making it since I saw it on instagram last night. How long do you think the kale mixture will stay good for in the fridge?
I love it! It should stay good for 3-4 days I believe. Each component of this recipe keeps well in the refrigerator. For leftovers, just reheat the beans and rice and serve alongside marinated kale and salsa verde. To make sure the salsa verde stays bright green, store it in a bowl with plastic wrap pressed against the sauce.
When you put the rice back into the pot to steam it for ten minutes is that done on low heat? Or the stove is off at that point?
Great question! That’s done off the heat. :)
My husband had this waiting for me when I arrived home from a long workday, and it was a perfect bowl of happiness. I wished I had taken a photo to share. When I asked him where he got this recipe, he showed your website and commented that he uses your paella recipe, that is now my favorite paella. We had switched to plant-based meals about a year ago and although it was an easy transition for me to prepare the meals, it was a new venture for my husband. Thank you for creating these delectable plant-based recipes.
That’s so sweet of him, Doris! I’m glad it was just what you needed. I appreciate you sharing and for your review.
Enjoyed your thoughtful review and will definitely try Kate’s paella at your recommendation!
The recipe looks great and I was ready to go to the grocery store to put it together until I saw that nutrition label… Those sodium and fat numbers are exceedingly high! Are you sure that’s right??
Hi Steve, This is approximate nutrition information. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on factors such as precision of measurements, brands, ingredient freshness, or the source of nutrition data. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Delicious! First time making a Buddha bowl. Loved it!
I’m happy to hear that, Jennifer! Thanks for your review.
YUM! This is really hitting the spot right now! Super flavorful – love all the lime. Also very versatile – I used cauliflower rice instead of regular because it was what I had and it’s great with it. Also, I bought a bag of kale at Trader Joe’s and I wasn’t sure how that translated to a “bunch” so I just made the whole thing. It’s so much kale (my fault), but the dressing amount is perfect (so tangy and delish!!) and I love kale so no complaints here. I almost feel like mine is a salad bowl – I added cilantro and bell peppers to the salad part too. So happy to eat this all week – I will definitely make this again soon!
Great to hear! Thank you for sharing, Abby.
Thank You. Special thanks for giving the nutrition facts. You are making easy my homework.
You’re welcome, Jose!
I recently found your site and have no idea how I lived without you previously! This burrito bowl has become a weekly staple in our house – everyone – including my picky 14 YO loves it! Made as-is the first time and have changed up the beans (pinto & a mixture) the last few times. The avocado sauce just brings the whole thing over the top.
Delish! Thanks for sharing
You’re welcome, Karen! I’m glad you all can enjoy this recipe.
Delicious! My 25 year old daughter, who is a vegetarian, made the avocado portion while I did the rest. We saved the leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Thanks for sharing, Linda!
Made this for dinner tonight and it is homey and DELICIOUS. The beans had a bit of heat but the spices were subtle which made a nice change. I picked all my baby lacinato kale for the salad and loved how well the lime juice worked without need of any oil. The jury is still out on the avocado salsa verde. I like both individually but not used to the creamy texture with a sour taste. I didn’t dislike it, just unsure of how I feel about it. Therefore,I anticipate loving it tomorrow! All in all delicious and I will be making it routinely
Thanks for sharing, Pam! I appreciate your review.
Looks good ! I’ll be trying it soon
Let me know what you think, Benny!
THIS SAUCE IS EVERYTHING! This is going to enter my weekly rotation! I highly recommend you make this ASAP!
Thanks for the recommendation, Lindsey!
Madr this for my family tonight. My 4 year old ate ALL the kale first! My 8 year old said it’s better than a Chipotle burrito bowl and that’s usually her go to when we choose to eat out. My 1 year old doesn’t count because she’s at the awesome age where she’ll happily eat whatever we put in front of her. My husband said I should make this all the time “even though it’s vegan”. I have yet to make one of your recipes that my family doesn’t like. This is our 5th or 6th and we’re making another two this week. Thank you!
That’s amazing! Kale first, great work. Thanks for your comment and review, Eva.
We enjoyed this meal! Thank you, Kate. Can you freeze the Avocado Salsa Verde?
You’re welcome, Mary Beth! I don’t think this one would freeze well. The avocado would likely brown.
I absolutely loved this recipe. I’ll admit: I used a box paella rice and my favorite pre-made guacamole from a local grocer. But, even if I hadn’t, I think it would’ve been just as good. It was one of those recipes where I was like, yeah, I could eat this every day. It all just works so nicely together.
Thank you for your comment, Nicole!
This was the first recipe I’ve made of yours and it was absolutely fantastic!! I can’t wait to try more!! Thank you so much!
You’re welcome, Kristen!
Dear Kate,
This recipe was amazing! I made it tonight. I poured a little bit of the lime marinade for the kale onto the avocado mixture, yum, heavenly. I only had one can of black beans so I substituted the other amount with chickpeas and increased the chili powder to 1 teaspoon. I’ll be making this meal many times in the future and sharing your recipe and website with everyone I know. Thanks so much! Delicious!
I’m a new subscriber as of June 2019…I love seeing Cookie + Kate show up in my inbox.
Thank you for sharing!! I’m happy you loved it.
I made this recipe..except I left the leaves large and massaged them with a bit of salt and lime juice..I took the rest of the ingredients and wrapped it like a burrito…OMG everyone in my house loved them.
That works great, Mary!
Really enjoyed this. Only one family member is vegan, but we all ate it with no complaints!
I found the kale made an awful lot of salad! I wonder if a “bunch” is the same quantity in Canada as the US?
It would be nice to have sizes for the cans of beans. I’m guessing 19oz?
I’m glad it was a hit! I’m not sure on the bunch question, I hope similar? 1 can of beans in US is typically 15oz. I hope this helps!
Yum yes thank you!
SO DELICIOUS! I have been exclusively cooking off your blog for the past 5 months and I have yet to make something I don’t like! Coming from someone who just got into cooking, I am loving your recipes! THANK YOU!
This is an awesome recipe and healthy as heck. The flavors, the smell, soooo yummy! The only thing I did different was I added a can of Del Monte Southwest corn to the rice…it was perfect! If you have to go to the store, go but do it soon, you will love this recipe!
Enjoy
So easy to make and so yummy at the same time! Definitely our go to dish for nights when we need a quick fix. Thank you!
Raw kale is not good for you. Is this a mistake in the recipe? Surely it should be gently steamed.
Hi Nathan, why do you suggest that raw kale is not good for you? It’s highly nutritious and perfectly edible raw. The only people who need to watch out for raw cruciferous veggies (including kale) are, to my knowledge, those with thyroid conditions.
This is delicious! I love the combinations of flavors and colors, and it’s a hearty, flavorful meal. Thank you for the inspiration!
This was delicious!! Definitely a keeper. I didn’t remove the seeds from the jalapeno and I added 1/4 teaspoon of red crushed peppers, salt, and lime to the beans. I also added some diced jalapenos with seeds to the avocado mixture at the end. Those modifications are only because we like it spicy but your recipe is delightful on its own. So tasty!!
my husband and i love this dish. great summer recipe! thank you
Just amazing! I made these as actual burritos instead of bowls and they were absolutely delicious! This will be in my regular rotation this summer for sure.
I think I made mine with alot more like juice then recommended.
Made this last night and ate it again for breakfast this morning! This is my new favorite recipe. Thank you for sharing it. It is so full of flavor! This will be in my list of regular go-to meals.
You’re welcome! I love that you had a savory breakfast. Delicious!
Thoroughly enjoyed this!
Hi – Can you please tell me a good substitute for Salsa Verde? We don’t really have that to buy here in Australia. Thank you
Hi! Any good green salsa will do. Do you have access to any green salsa? Or you could make mine salsa verde, if you can get the ingredients.
In place of the olive oil in the kale marinate, what would you suggest?
Hi Marci! I find olive oil works the best here.